Valve unit for player pianos



MlChlO, 11931. Y J, DUNCAN ,796,45

VALVE. UNIT FOR PLAYER PIANOS Filed April 24, 1928 Patented Mar. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN DUNCAN, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO DUNCAN PIANO COM- PANY, F NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT VALVE UNIT FOR PLAYER PIANOS Application led April 24,

This invention relates to valve units for player pianos, and more particularly to a unitary structure comprising both a valve chest or chamber and a pouch chamber, the two being formed either in one piece or secured together in longitudinal alignment, and of such a nature that the parts may be economically formed of sheet metal.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved means for guiding the valve stem during the reciproeation of the valves.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a valve guide member formed integrally with the chamber wall of the valve unit, whereby the provision of a separate part to perform this function may be avoided.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a guide member for the valve stem, which may be struck out of the side wall ofthe valve unit, a part of the wall being displaced so as to be in alignment with the val-ve stem openings arranged adjacent the valve seats, in order to guide the valve correctly and accurately in its movements.

Still another object of the invention is to provide improved means for holding the `valve seat member in place within the charnber of the valve unit.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and. claimed.

In the accoi'npanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a` sectional view of a wind chest and valve unit, embodyingr my invention, these parts being assembled wth a striker pneumatic and tracker tube, shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the valve unit;

Fig. 3 Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the valve unit, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the valve unit during the manufacture thereof, showing a step in the process of making the same.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have shown a wind chest 10, to which is secured a. tracker' is a sectional view on line 3-3 of tube 11, and a striker pneumatic 12. At the 192s. serial No. 272,521.

side of the wind chestopposite the tracker tube, a. number of openings 13 are provided, each to receive a part of the valve unit, designated as a whole by the numeral 11. The valve unit is perhaps best shown by the sectional view in Fig. t, and comprises a` valve chamber 15 and a pouch chamber 16. It will be noted that the side wall of the valve chamber is continuous with that of the pouch chamber, the one chamber being merely a con tinuation of the other. Intermediate the two chambers this side wall is displaced outwardly and doubled upon itself to form a two ply shoulder 17. It will be seen by reference to Fig. t that the left hand fold 1S of this shoulder is somewhat longer than the right hand fold 19, so that not only an exterior shoulder but also an interi-or shoulder presented.

Aside from its bei-ng quite expedient to form the valve unit in the manner, and form both exterior and interior shoulders thereon by displacing' outwardly the wall of the valve unit and then closing together the outwardly displaced folds, in addition, this forms a convenient means of securing the valve seat nicmber in place.. As shown in Fig. 5, this valve seat member is pla-ced within the shell ofthe valve unit in a slightly cupped condition and before the shoulder 17 has been formed. At this point in the manufacture of the shell, the left hand end is smaller in diameter than the right hand end, the wall of the shell being gradually tapered outwardly at the point 21. A tool is then brought down upon the shell and also upon the valve scat member 20, displacing the shell wall outwardly andv folding it over, as shown in dotted lines at 22, in Fig. 5, and as at 17, 18 and l5) in Fig. fl, and at the same time flattening the valve seat member outwardly and causing itsI peripheral edge to be lodged between the folds of the shoulder 17. It will be seen,v therefore, that the folding outwardly of the wall of the valve shell in eii'ect forms a recess to receive the edge of the valve seat member, which is expanded thereinto during the assembly of the parts.

The valve seat member 20 is provid-ed with a-valve port 23, through which passes a valve Vroo stem 24, carrying the valves 25 and 26 thereon. 'T he valve 25 cooperates with the port 23 and the valve 26 cooperates with the port 27 in a cap member 28, which is also provided with a valve guide member 29, having an opening to receive the stem 24.

In order to hold the valves in proper position, it is necessary to provide some sort of guiding means for the right hand end of the Valve stem. I have provided for this in a very economical manner by striking from the wall of the pouch chamber 16, a tongue or bridge member 31, which is turned inwardly as shown in Fig. 3, so that its central portion is in alignment with the longitudinal aXis of the valve and pouch chambers. At the central part of this bridge member 31 I also strike out the tongue 32 so that a longitudinally disposed opening` is formed between this tongue and the parts 33 and 84 of the bridge member, the valve stem 24 being received in this opening. It will be apparent that the bridge member 3l., by being arched in the manner shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. l is effectively braced against displacement and will form a` very strong and effective guiding means for the stem, and at the same time may be very economically and cheaply made by stamping` operations.

At the lower end of the valve unit 14, is mounted a pouch 35 above a chamber 36, with which a tracker tube 11 is in communication in the usual manner.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that it is not to be limited to all the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

IVhat I claim is:

1. A valve unit for automatic musical instruments, comprising a pouch chamber, a valve chamber, and a valve seat member between. said chambers, the wall of said unit being provided with an inwardly facing recess and the edge of said valve seat member being lodged in said recess. A y

2. A valve unit for automatic musical instruments, having its side wall displaced outwardly and folded upon itself, and a! valve seat member engaged between .the folds thereof.

3. A valve unit for automatic musical instruments, having its side wall displaced outwardly and folded upon itself to form a two ply shoulder, and a valve seat member having its edge secured' between the plies of said shoulder.

l. A valve unit comprising a body of circular cross section provided with an internal annular recess, and a valve seat member having its edge seated in said recess to be held in place thereby.

5. A valve unit comprising a valve chammaaier ber and a pouch chamber of circular cross section and disposed in longitudinal axial alignment, the Ywall of said unit being continuous and being displaced outwardly between the said chambers and folded upon itself to form an exterior shoulder, an interior shoulder, and a valve seat member within the unit, and having its edge held between the folds of the wall and being lodged against the interior shoulder.

6. A valve unit for automatic musical instruments, comprising a hollow body, a valve stem therein having valves mounted thereon, and an intermediate part of the wall of said body being displaced inwardly to form a guide for the stem.

7. A valve unit for automatic musical instruments, comprising a hollow body of circular cross section, and a part of the curved wall of said body being displaced inwardly to form a-valve guide member, said member having an opening to receive a valve stem.

8. A valve unit for automatic musical instruments, comprising a. hollow body, an intermediate part of the wall of said body being displaced inwardly in arch formation to form a guide member for a valve stem, and said member having an opening at its central portion in which the stem may be received.

9. A valve unit comprising a hollow body of circular cross section, a part of the wall of said body being displaced inwardly to form an arch, the central portion of which is disposed substantially at the longitudinal axis of the body, and means at said central portion of said part to receive a valve stem. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of April, 1928.

JOHN DUNCAN. 

